With former wife and songwriting partner Carole King, he co-wrote 50-plus Top 40 hits. He also co-wrote Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love For You."

This undated image released by The O and M Company shows lyricist Gerry Goffin with his wife Michelle at the opening night of "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical," in New York. Goffin, ex-husband of Carole King, died Wednesday, June 18, 2014, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 75. Goffin, who married King in 1959 while both were in their teens, penned more than 50 top 40 hits, including "Pleasant Valley Sunday" for the Monkees, "Crying in the Rain" by the Everly Brothers, “Some King of Wonderful” for the Drifters and "Take Good Care of My Baby" by Bobby Vee. The couple divorced in 1968 but Goffin kept writing hits, including "Savin' All My Love for You" for Whitney Houston. (AP Photo/The O and M Company, Bruce Glikas)
The Associated Press

This undated image released by The O and M Company shows lyricist Gerry Goffin with his wife Michelle at the opening night of "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical," in New York. Goffin, ex-husband of Carole King, died Wednesday, June 18, 2014, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 75. Goffin, who married King in 1959 while both were in their teens, penned more than 50 top 40 hits, including "Pleasant Valley Sunday" for the Monkees, "Crying in the Rain" by the Everly Brothers, “Some King of Wonderful” for the Drifters and "Take Good Care of My Baby" by Bobby Vee. The couple divorced in 1968 but Goffin kept writing hits, including "Savin' All My Love for You" for Whitney Houston. (AP Photo/The O and M Company, Bruce Glikas)

Lyricist Gerry Goffin, who co-wrote a slew of classics songs -- both with and without his former wife -- Carole King, died early Thursday in Los Angeles. He was 75 and, with King, a 1990 Rock and Roll Hall of fame inductee. His wife, Michelle Goffin, confirmed his death and said it was due to natural causes.

Gofffin's stellar songwriting partnership with King produced some of the most memorable pop and rock hits of the 1960s, beginning with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," a 1960 hit for The Shirelles. That song alone was later covered by more than two-dozen other artists, including Linda Ronstadt, Amy Winehouse, Neil Diamond and Bryan Ferry.

In a statement Thursday, King said of her ex-husband: ""He had a profound impact on my life and the rest of the world. Gerry was a good man with a dynamic force, whose words and creative influence will resonate for generations to come. His legacy to me is our two daughters, four grandchildren, and our songs that have touched millions and millions of people, as well as a lifelong friendship."

Subsequent Goffin/King hits included Aretha Franklin's "A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel)," the Everly Brothers' "Crying in the Rain," The Drifters' "Up on the Roof" and Bobby Vee's "Take Good Care of My Baby."

But that was just the tip of the musical iceberg.

Together, Goffin and King also co-wrote "Some Kind of Wonderful" (a hit for The Drifters and Marvin Gaye), "The Loco-Motion" (a hit for Little Eva, Grand Funk Railroad and Kylie Minogue), "I'm Into Something Good" (Herman's Hermits), "Don't Bring Me Down" (The Animals, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers),"Pleasant Valley Sunday" (The Monkees) and "I Wasn't Born to Follow" (The Byrds). All told, they co-wrote more than 50 Top 40 hits.

Goffin and King were married in 1959 and divorced in 1968. She went on to become a major recording star in her own right. Goffin collaborated with other songwriters, most notably Michael Masser, with whom he collaborated on the 1985 Whitney Houston smash, "Saving All My Love For You." A decade earlier, Goffin and Masser earned am Academy Award nomination for Best Song for the theme to the 1975 Diana Ross film "Mahogany."

In 1987, Goffin and King were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. their musical and personal life are chronicled in the current Broadway musical "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical," which won two Tony Awards earlier this month. In her autobiography, King wrote that Goffin LSD use in the 1960s had some long-term impact on him.

Goffin's musical skills were hailed by his erstwhile musical partner, Barry Goldberg, his songwriting partner for Rod Stewart's "It's Not the Spotlight" (which was also recorded by Manhattan Transfer, Bobby Bland and Kim Carnes), Gladys Knight & The Pips' "I've Got To Use My Imagination" and "Audience For My Pain," which was recorded by The Neville Brothers and Levon Helm.

"Gerry was one of the greatest lyricists of all time," Goldberg said. "I was privileged to have had him in my personal and professional life."

Goffin was born in Brooklyn on Feb. 11, 1939. He and King were married 20 years later, when she was just 17. She was pregnant with their first child when they co-wrote their first joint hit, The Shirelles "Will You Love Me Tomorrow." In their early days, they wrote songs for The Chiffons and other girl groups, then expanded their musical horizons.

Goffin, a longtime Los Angeles resident, is survived by his wife, Michelle, his ex-wife, King, five children (two with King) and at least four grandchildren.